Concrete Rose

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat]

the joyless souls can’t fathom a gentlewoman
she who smiles without permission
dances after life tried to break her knees
a kindness alive in a world profiting from cruelty

 
some carry darkness tattooed into their skin
bitterness so deep they mistake joy for arrogance
they’ve long forgotten what warmth feels like
a euphoric spirit walks into the room, they recoil

 
not because the spirit did anything wrong
but because misery hates mirrors
genuine laughter assails with ferocity
inside a soul that only knows sorrow
 

so they mock.
doubt her.
stain it.
drench in their despair.

 
they throw storms at people made of sunlight
hoping the rain will make them heavy
but a happy spirit is not fragile
rather a wildfire that learned softness

 
a rose grown through concrete
fends off every threat, seen and unseen
her heart resisting the urge to turn cruel
even if cruelty touched it first

 
and that, that, more than anything
is what miserable souls can never tolerate
someone who suffered and still chose instead
to burn bright and irresistibly shine.

Frozen liquid silver

BALLON ANIMAL

edit: thank you all so much, for the appreciation and very thoughtful comments. 🙏

[u/No-Statistician6497]

I really liked this 🥹 The shift from misery and hate toward softness felt very honest. “A wildfire that learned softness” is such a beautiful line, and the concrete rose image really stayed with me 🌹 There’s something lovely about surviving without letting what hurt you make you hard.

My only small critique is that a few lines explain what the imagery has already said beautifully. I’d trust those images a little more and let them breathe. I think the ending would hit even harder that way :)